St Petersburg Boat Show

[lustyslogger]

The St Petersburg Boat Show is scheduled on my birthday. I am approximately three hours from St Pete. The cost for me would be free since they are giving veterans free admission. I was thinking of attending as a birthday gift for myself. However, in looking at the lineup of exhibitors most of the boats are (1) power boats and (2) well above anything I could even considering owning. So, what I was primarily interested in was the various vendors who are offering accessories like paints, varnish, compasses, line, hardware, etc.

My question is then has anyone here ever attending the show and is it worth the drive?

Thanks

[wdscobie]

for a sailor, especially a small trailerables, not really. I attended as a vendor with a Sage 17 ... had many people interested and I was one of only two small pocket cruiser builders in attendance - the other being ComPac.

the rest of the show is large powerboats and fishing boats with four 300HP motors strapped to the transom. the 'boat stuff' vendors really have nothing you couldn't easily locate at a local chandelier.

[lustyslogger]

for a sailor, especially a small trailerables, not really. I attended as a vendor with a Sage 17 ... had many people interested and I was one of only two small pocket cruiser builders in attendance - the other being ComPac.

the rest of the show is large powerboats and fishing boats with four 300HP motors strapped to the transom. the 'boat stuff' vendors really have nothing you couldn't easily locate at a local chandelier.

That is what I was afraid of. Its amazing really that Florida with all its water actually has a very small sailing community.

[wdscobie]

Its amazing really that Florida with all its water actually has a very small sailing community.

From talking to folks they all said waters are shallow and even with the Sage centerboard up draft under 2' people repeatedly said 'can't sail anywhere with that much draft' (which seemed odd to me but that is what folks said, and what I also heard at the Miami International show).

[lustyslogger]

Its amazing really that Florida with all its water actually has a very small sailing community.

From talking to folks they all said waters are shallow and even with the Sage centerboard up draft under 2' people repeatedly said 'can't sail anywhere with that much draft' (which seemed odd to me but that is what folks said, and what I also heard at the Miami International show).

I sail on Lake Harris, about 50 miles south of Leesburg. Water is said to be 30 feet deep. At my slip its 8 feet. When I lived in Jacksonville I sailed on the St Johns River and had sailed from Jax to Palatka, about 60 miles. Water was at least 10 to 15 feet. Could have sailed to Lake George with no problem, after that bridges were the issue. Overall however, the inland waters are skinny waters but certainly greater than two feet! Florida is nothing like the "Great Lakes of Tennessee" (the TVA lakes created in the 40's) which are up to 100 feet or more deep or the Chesapeake I had access to when I lived in Anne Arundel County Maryland. Actually, the very first place I ever sailed was in Palatka Fla (on November 22, 1963) and the second, where I owned by first boat, was the Magothy River in Pasadena MD. To show how stupid I was back then I decided one day I was going to sail from Sandy Point State Park to the lighthouse about two miles out, in an 11ft Sunflower sailboat! https://www.sailboatstogo.com/content/S ... r_3.3_Pics Fortunately, I came to my senses and turned back after about half a mile. The tidal flow at the light house was about 4 knots. Had I been successful in getting into that flow I would be writing this from the west coast of Africa because I am sure it would have carried me out into the middle of the Atlantic Ocean!!